Author: Maggie

Storyteller | Scholar | Explorer

A Winter Wander Part I: Newcastle-upon-Tyne

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On Monday, I journeyed down to Newcastle-upon-Tyne to begin a three- day tour of England and Scotland before I head home for Christmas. I thought it would be nice to use some of my down time to explore some of the surrounding area. So, I packed my rucksack for the first adventure: visiting the homeland of my mother’s family.

Newcastle is such a delightful city. Pictured above is a beautiful church near the town center. It was intriguing to see the place my grandmother, aunt, and so many others speak about so fondly. Though I am not acquainted with any of the distant relatives that live here, it was exciting to feel connected to the city somehow, in the sense that somewhere, my blood was roaming the streets just as I was.

I also visited the Castle Keep, the architecture of which was breathtaking. Unlike Edinburgh Castle, most of the keep was open to the public. There were so many wee corridors and secret chambers to lose myself in. I do not believe I will ever grow tired of visiting old castles, since I let my imagination run free and place myself in the time of their glory.

Newcastle was an amazing place, and I am so lucky that I had the chance to explore somewhere so important to my family. It was such a lovely trip that I’m excited to share with everyone when I return home for the Christmas holiday.

Originally written 19 December 2012

First Semester Reflections

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In six days I will be homeward bound. I almost cannot even fathom that an entire semester has passed since I last laid eyes on my home, Bear, and all that was familiar to me. I can honestly say that these past few months have simultaneously been some of the most challenging yet rewarding of my life.

Some days, when I am feeling rather lonely, I remember the fact that this time last year, attending St Andrews might have been a fantasy. The emotions and frustration that time conjures makes me appreciate every breath of Scottish air I draw. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to explore such a beautiful place while attaining a world-class education. After so many years of being dissatisfied with my high school education, St Andrews, at times, still feels like a fantasy. The students, the locals, the architecture, the classes, and the sea all blend in a glorious harmony that I get to call my life. It is almost as if I am living one of my stories, and I cannot believe it.

Though I have faced some challenges, such as initial homesickness, anonymity, loneliness, and challenging coursework, I could not have asked for a better first semester. Yet unfathomably, everyone asserts that your university experience gets better as the years pass. As ineffably happy as I am today, I do not know if my heart can accommodate any more wonderful experiences.

So I eagerly await what is to come. Yet unlike my high school self, I do not wish for today to end. Instead, I revel in each and every sunrise, smiling gleefully to myself that I am here. I could not have asked for a more rewarding and lovely experience as a St. Andrews student, and I am already ravenous for more.

To quote my favorite hobbit, “The road goes ever on and on…”

Originally written 16 December 2012

Raisin Weekend: A St Andrews tradition

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St Andrews is an historic university noted for its varied traditions. Raisin Weekend is one specifically targeted toward the newest class of students attending the university, intending to welcome the first year cohort to the university and encourage them to feel at home in the wider academic community.

Historically, an upper-class student, typically in their third year, would be partnered with one or two first year students as a sort of mentor. The upper-class student would tour the university and the town with the first year, answering questions and acting as a support system for the younger student. To thank the older student, the first year would present him or her with a bag of raisins, hence the reference to the dried snack.

As notions of propriety have evolved over time, so too have the festivities for this mentorship tradition. Today, an upper-class student will “adopt” one or several first year students (including older students who are studying abroad at St Andrews for a semester or a year). At times, friend will partner together to create an academic “family”, complete with any combination of “parental” figures, extended “family” groups, and so on. Raisin festivities begin with the academic “mother” hosting her “children” for a breakfast at her home, followed by a scavenger hunt for the first year students to better acquaint themselves with the town and its traditions. The first years will then move on to their academic “father”, being taken to various homes for different house parties for the opportunity to meet more students and socialize. The following day, the first years are brought again to their “mother’s” home for breakfast. Later, they are dressed in costumes to be taken to a large shaving foam fight held in St Salvatore’s Quad. Along the way, the “children” must pick up an object, known as a “Raisin Receipt”, from their academic “father” to present as a means of entry into the quad.

For my Raisin Weekend, my academic mother dressed my siblings and I as Arthur’s knights of the round table and Merlin, carrying the Holy Grail to Arthur who lay injured in Sallie’s Quad. Raisin Weekend was quite a bit of fun, and I feel as though I should begin planning something just as memorable for my own academic children two years from now.

Originally written 19 November 2012

Cross Country Running in Scotland

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Yesterday, a few of the cross country team members and I packed off to Glasgow to participate in the SSS XC Championships. In the three races I have participated in this season, this was by far the most challenging; not due to hills, not due to distance, but because of mud. There was also a really difficult back section to the course, into the wind, and through a marshy bog. Though it appeared as a straightforward piece of terrain, one’s feet only sunk deep into soggy, squishy grass. How tiring!

These races, though, are what I look forward to on my weekends. I enjoy the opportunity to spend time with some kindred spirits, being outdoors, and competing once again. I also take pleasure in observing how each adventure unfolds in a very similar way. We all start out a little quiet and shy on the ride there, but as the day progresses, we end up bonding and having a great time.

Joining the cross country team here has been one of the best decisions I have ever made since I arrived at St Andrews. Though I am still competitive at heart, the fact that these races are for fun, without the pressure of points, varsity places, and school records is very liberating. Everyone is simply in for the fun of it, and the chance to make some new friends.

Originally written 18 November 2012

Culture Clash

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Perhaps one of the most interesting experiences I have had while being in St Andrews is the strong, often negative, reactions to my being an American student. While I am not naive enough to think that the entire world loves the United States and all its inhabitants, the fact that I have encountered so much negativity is both discouraging and disappointing. Often, my peers are fond of pinning the misdeeds of my nation on my shoulders, forgetting the fact that I am an innocent eighteen-year-old girl. Are we not all here for the same purpose?

However, no matter where we hail from, I think that all the international students deserve some respect and applause for their decision to come to the University of St Andrews, regardless of how long their stay is. Moving away from home to begin university is a huge step in the life of any young adult, yet adding the international factor makes the experience all the more daunting. It saddens me that some of my peers choose to speak so negatively of the American student population, without realizing the fact that many of us are here for the experience of studying abroad, learning about a new culture, and perhaps satisfying life long dreams to see such a beautiful country. How discouraging would it be for someone to essentially tell you to go home after you have waited your whole life to visit their amazing country? It is a saddening occurrence to say the least.

Finally, while I do not expect to be free from the many stereotypes that follow the American students, the way a lot of the other students go about expressing them is disheartening. I have been met with many questions that are inappropriate in their direct support of outdated, often rather rude, stereotypes. When I do not adhere to one, another is quickly put in its place, as if I cannot exist without some negative qualifier that confirms another’s suspicions about American lifestyles. Whatever I seem to say about my home, my upbringing, or my family, I am met with ridicule, which just altogether makes me uncomfortable.

Though I have made many friends here, many of whom hail from such diverse backgrounds, it simply disappoints me that I have met so much negativity simply for my national identity. I am in no way saying that that Americans do not subscribe to similar ideologies about other cultures. However, university is a place full of international students, a safe haven for scholars pursuing their dreams and discovering themselves. Personally, I find the European way of life appealing, and I have fallen madly in love with Scotland, so much so that I do not want to leave once my student visa runs out. All walks of life should be tolerated, and view points expanded while at university.

Originally written 6 October 2012

First Day Jitters

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Fifteen years ago, I marched off to my first day of preschool, excited for the opportunity to, at last,  attend school. Today I will be embarking on my first day of university, and I am both nervous and excited.

My classes sound rather interesting, like Mind and Reality, yet I am not sure what to expect. In high school, I managed to graduate with high honors, despite never “studying” the material, as well as reading for pleasure while the teacher taught a lesson. While my primary education did not feel challenging, I feel as though I am not prepared for higher education, that the lectures will be over my head, and that I will be lost in the mire of coursework.

While I do not know what to expect, I hope that my time here at St Andrews will be so much more rewarding than any American university, simply due to the fact that I will be learning things more catered to my interests and what I wish to pursue later in life.

I leave my dorm today with an open mind, ready to fill in the blank page of this new life.

Originally written 17 September 2012

Settling In

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Bustling about from place to place for the past few days, it seems as though I can never get a moment to simply sit. I’ve had such a relaxing summer that the pace of settling in to St Andrews seems frenetic.

Though I have just arrived, it has definitely been a learning experience. I’m having a bit of trouble making friends, since I tend to be on the shy side. Usually, I do not march up to people with a forward introduction. I know everyone is in the same position, not knowing anyone, but I find it difficult to simply reverse a personality trait so intrinsic to myself.

It seems so intimidating that everyone already has these groups of friends, walking around in packs, whereas I’m just wandering about all by lonesome. I am going to try to go to a few of the club meet-and-greets, simply to try and meet people with similar interests as me.

All in all, move in was alright. I am perhaps just overwhelmed, yet I’m hoping once teaching begins, I can actually settle into a routine and meet people with similar interests so I’ll feel more comfortable.

Originally written 10 September 2012

Be Brave

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On the ninth of June 2012, I graduated high school.

It is a surreal experience, being a high school graduate. I have spent my entire life only knowing my small hometown, yet I now find myself upon the threshold of this immense, foreign reality. I have not yet realized that I shall never again wander into Mr. O’Dowd’s English class or patiently wait for the gun to fire for my next cross country race. I keep holding my diploma like a delicate butterfly, afraid that at the slightest movement it will flutter away, all a dream.

However, I am eager for this new beginning. The thought of moving to Scotland this September excites and delights me, and I wish for the hour of my departure to arrive. Most of my peers grow nervous at the thought of moving but two hours from their homes, seeing only twenty friends on campus as opposed to two hundred. As for me, I’m boarding a plane for a wild land with a wholly new culture.

For all of us starting something new this autumn, we must be brave.

Originally written 10 June 2012